By Vanessa Adjei
Ghana and Cote d’ivoire have held talks to implement the 2017 International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea ruling. The meeting will operationalize and reaffirm land boundaries for common interests.
According to the Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Benito Owusu Bio, recent Coup d’états in the Sahel region is one of the key factors that have necessitated the meeting between the two countries adding “that threats of insecurity are gradually becoming serious in the Sahel due to the rise in political unrest in some African countries”.
He, therefore, called on Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire to collaborate and ensure proper management of their boundaries.
“This is the time for both countries to jointly demarcate, limit and reaffirm their common land and maritime boundaries as well as jointly ensure the proper management of the boundaries”.
The Minister reminded stakeholders on the need to take into consideration the human interest in the process.
“I would like to remind stakeholder and partners present of the fact that the management of our common boundaries has a human face and so all decisions should be taken in the interest of the people involved”.
The talks between both countries are focused on issues of cross-border cooperation in security, social, economic and other issues of common interest.
Addressing the meeting, National Coordinator of the Ghana Boundary Commission, Major General Emmanuel Kotia said there have been some challenges including boundary pillars and landmarks, which both countries will have to develop a framework towards addressing them.
“The two countries will be aiming at coming out with a blueprint to address challenges including destruction of boundary line”.
”We are aiming at providing guidelines for early warning mechanisms on all issues that can endanger our good relations that currently exist among our border communities by jointly undertaking sensitization and cross-border developments and programs”.
Executive Secretary of Cote d’ivoire’s National Border Commission, Diakalidia Konate, said the discussions will go a long way to help smoothen trade between the two countries.
The meeting is expected to end on February 25, 2022. In 2017, the ITLOS ruled in favour of Ghana after a protracted maritime boundary dispute between the country and neighbouring Cote d’ivoire. However, there have been delays in the implementation of the ruling.